The Best Is Yet To Come From Pleiss

Tibor Pleiss has taken his game to the next level since moving his career from Germany to Spain

By Dimitris Kontos

Anyone who has ever believed that Tibor Pleiss was among the elite group of European big men with an enormous potential, must feel vindicated right now.

After averaging a tournament double-double at EuroBasket 2013 last September, the 24-year-old German is having a break-out season with his club, Spanish and Euroleague powerhouse Laboral Kutxa Vitoria.

Pleiss averages an efficiency index rating of 15.9 in the Liga Endesa, arguably the toughest national league in Europe, and has earned weekly MVP on four occasions, more than any other player, in the first 19 weeks of action in the regular season.

In the German 2.18m center, Laboral Kutxa have a player who contributes 13.5 points on 61% from the floor and 5.2 rebounds in the Spanish league, 11.5 points on 57% shooting with 4 rebounds in the Euroleague Top 16 and blocks almost one shot per game in both competitions.

Last year, during his first season in Spain, the German center averaged just 6.2 points per game and it would not be an overstatement to say that he often struggled to make an impact on the court.

The obvious explanation would be that he needed time to adapt to his new surroundings after arriving in the Basque city of Vitoria from the familiar surroundings of the Bavarian town of Bamberg, where he'd spent three years at German champions Brose Baskets.

It might sound obvious from the outside, but Pleiss himself has a different explanation.

"I think I have a different role in the team now," the German told fibaeurope.com in an apparent nod to new Laboral Kutxa head coach Sergio Scariolo.

"Last year I was supposed to be more of a defender and rebounder, but this year I receive the ball more on offence."

More often than not, Vitoria's fast breaks this season involve the 2.18m Pleiss running the open floor to receive as a trailer and finish with a power dunk.

Tibor Pleiss is aiming for a spot in the ACB playoffs with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria

"It makes me really happy that I get this experience on offence," Pleiss said.

"I think I can now use [on both ends of the floor] what I've learned in my career up to this point."

Just like the people who believed in him, Pleiss also feels vindicated right now.

"Of course, it was the right decision [to go to Spain]," he said.

"I've earned more experience, I now play much better than in previous years and I think I've made big steps forward in the game."

The German big man spoke to fibaeurope.com immediately after one of Laboral Kutxa's most painful defeats of the season, 74-73 to Valencia in the Copa del Rey, which came about with 0.4 seconds on the clock and after the Basque side had led for almost the entire game.

"It was one of our goals to show something good at this tournament and to lose like this, in the last second, it makes me a bit frustrated," Pleiss said.

It probably says a lot though about his sporting ethos that he immediately added: "it was still a great game."

"Now we have to look forward and get in a good position for the play-offs, that has to be our next goal."

THE BEST IS YET TO COME FOR GERMANY

"I like basketball, I love basketball and I hope I will enjoy a lot of great games."

One person who must be watching Pleiss's progress closely and rubbing his hands in satisfaction is German head coach Frank Menz.